The problem with modern life is that it just doesn’t stop! There is a lot of research out there regarding office worker health, urging us to switch off and de-stress, but we just don’t seem to get the time to get round to it…
This is something of an irony seeing as the first bit of advice given when our technology stops functioning as it should, is to turn it off and give it a reboot!
Stress is part and parcel of business. It is the adrenalin fuelled engine which drives aspiration, ambition and achievement. But it is a double edged sword. Stress can lead to burn out and also be detrimental to the office environment and the business as a whole.
Many businesses use team building exercises and business away days to take their employees out of this environment. Business away days are an opportunity for the team to de-stress and connect on a different level . Bonding over something other than the shared use of the water cooler is beneficial to office worker health, but frequently business away days are over too quickly to fully enjoy the benefits.
Team Building Exercises to Beat Stress
That’s why the Carlton Hotel in Ilfracombe, North Devon, has seen a swift uptake of its two day Refresh & Energise business breakpackages this Spring. The midweek business breaks combine opportunities for team building exercises with a programme of relaxation activities for the team – from massage and Tai Chi sessions to outdoor coastal pursuits and a specially prepared Wellness menu that’s big on taste but healthy too.
Carlton Hotel owner, Eliot Seabourn-Wren, says, “There is a lot of uncertainty in the UK at the moment and many companies are waiting for the green light on some kind of direction, but this is also taking its toll on the office. Our Refresh and Energise breaks are proving popular because bosses are seeing the benefits to office worker health as well as promoting focus for what’s coming next.”
The Office is Bad For Your Health
It seems obvious, but research has been drawing attention to the negative impact of sitting for up to 8 hours a day. So the solution is to get a stand up desk right? Not necessarily! Standing for any length of time brings its own problems (from conditions such as plantar fasciitis – foot swelling to lumbar spine pressures).
A positive contribution to office worker health (aside from making efforts to bring more mobility into your day) comes through the power of massage. Massage techniques – from head to full bodyto feet massage – will flush out the muscles, put knotted muscles back in place and remove accumulated tension.
The ancient art of Tai Chi has also enjoyed a revival with its clear benefits for the modern office worker. Carlton Hotel ‘s Tai Chi partner, Paul Maxfield. “Tai Chi can be used in various ways such as for strength, flexibility, and mental wellbeing. It has obvious advantages for management and company employees. In day to day business, life can be stressful, and where decisions have to be made with a clear head, Tai Chi brings calm and focus.”
While massage and Tai Chi are more specialised features on the Refresh & Energise business break programme at North Devon’s Carlton Hotel, team building exercises don’t get any less formal than just taking a stroll on the beach! Walking is good for our health and everybody is saying it (hands up if you’ve done your 10,000 steps today?!)- and nowhere is this more pertinent than in relation to office worker health.
Guaranteed to boost the mind and energise the body is a coastal walk, or pleasant time spent combing the beach and marvelling at the power of the elements and the mighty Atlantic ocean – just the kind sight to help get things into perspective. It may be the simplest and most informal of team building exercises on a Refresh & Energise business break package, but it’s an effective one!
And of course a good walk builds a good appetite too. The office is a magnet for poor eating habits; grabbing lunch on the go, snacking on quick fix sugary and salty snacks, being too tired to rustle up anything other than a ready meal in the kitchen at the end of a long day…
The specially prepared Wellness menu at the Carlton appreciates the importance of fuelling correctly for maximum performance. Eating well is just another element of the hotel’s Refresh & Energise two day business break (from £102 per person, per night) – the perfect opportunity to hit stop, reset and prepare the team’s focus for the year to come.
For more information about the Carlton Hotel’s Refresh & Energise package, get in touch by emailor telephone (01271 862446).